Bett’s Bold Claim: We Are the Team to Beat in…

The Los Angeles Dodgers secured the World Series title in the same year they made significant offseason acquisitions, such as signing Shohei Ohtani and several other key players. Mookie Betts is optimistic that the team will remain a dominant force in MLB throughout the decade, and possibly even longer.

Mookie Betts saying that the Dodgers will have the next seven years

During his acceptance speech for the All-MLB outfield award at the 2024 MLB Awards on Thursday, Mookie Betts was asked about players who look up to him. The 32-year-old, who has earned three World Series titles in his 11-year career, is among the most successful active players in the league. When sharing advice, Betts emphasized the importance of patience for aspiring players.

“I would say y’all just gotta wait the next seven years. After that, then y’all can win. But right now, nah. You just gotta wait,” joked the Dodgers star.

Betts made it clear that he and the Dodgers are committed to maintaining their high level of play for the next seven years, with no intention of easing up or allowing other teams to get close to a championship. Given their stacked roster, it’s certainly within the realm of possibility.

Betts moving to the infield

At the recent general manager meetings, Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes shared with the media that the team is likely to move Mookie Betts back to the infield, either at shortstop or second base.

In the first half of 2024, Mookie Betts’ transition to the infield became one of the season’s most intriguing storylines.

After years as an established right fielder, Betts returned to the dirt, a position he played as a prospect with the Red Sox before moving to right field out of respect for Dustin Pedroia. Over the years, Betts won multiple Gold Gloves and other defensive accolades as a right fielder, but in recent times, he began shifting back to the infield.

From 2020 to 2022, the Dodgers gave Mookie Betts occasional opportunities at second base, but in 2023, they increased his time at the position, allowing him to play 485 innings there. That same year, they also experimented with him at shortstop, where he logged 98 innings.

Playing shortstop for the Dodgers

The Dodgers seemed satisfied with the experiment, as manager Dave Roberts confirmed in December that Betts would be the team’s primary second baseman in 2024, with Gavin Lux slated to play shortstop. However, after Lux struggled with his throws during spring training, the Dodgers decided to switch their positions, moving Betts to shortstop.

This left Betts to essentially learn one of the most challenging positions on the fly, but he managed to adapt well for a while. Although he recorded a -4 Outs Above Average at shortstop, he earned +3 Defensive Runs Saved. At the same time, he posted a remarkable .304/.405/.488 batting line and a 153 wRC+ through mid-June, solidifying his case in the Most Valuable Player conversation.

Unfortunately, during that stretch, Betts sustained a hand fracture after being hit by a pitch, causing him to miss about two months. While he was sidelined, the Dodgers decided to move him back to his usual right field position once he recovered.

Betts is set to return to the infield, which is likely to spark speculation about the Dodgers’ offseason moves. The top free agent this winter is corner outfielder Juan Soto, though he isn’t the only appealing option. The Dodgers could also look into re-signing Teoscar Hernández or targeting players such as Anthony Santander, Jurickson Profar, Tyler O’Neill, or Michael Conforto.

Since joining the Dodgers in 2020, Betts has secured two championships, adding to the one he won with the Boston Red Sox in 2018. When his contract nears its end in seven years, Betts will be 39, and he acknowledges that other teams could have a better chance of claiming the World Series title by then.